The Oyster, launched in 1926, was the first waterproof watch and was worn by Mercedes Gleitze during her swim across the English Channel. The name "Oyster Perpetual" comes from an oyster, which sealed the movement to keep water and dust out. Rolex patented a self-winding movement in 1931, which used a weight to gently wind the watch while worn on the wrist.
The name "Oyster Perpetual" was first used in 1945, combining the robust Oyster case with the self-winding movement. The first Oyster Perpetual Datejust watch was released in 1945, with an automatic date change. The Oyster Perpetuals were launched in 1953, 1956, and 1964, with the Oyster Perpetual Explorer, Day-Date, Milgauss, No Date, and Ladies Perpetual launched in 1964.
"Oyster Perpetual" is now used across almost every Rolex dial, except for the Cellini collection. Each model is built upon the waterproof Oyster case and Perpetual winding of the automatic movement. The current Oyster Perpetual model family is time-only, produced in Oystersteel, and ranges in size from 28mm to 41mm.
